Collapsible drinking-cup.



J.P,MITGHELL GOLLAPSIBLE DRINKING GUP. ARILIOATIOH FILED 433.14, 1913.

1 3 7 Patented Apr. 21, 19m

\ I 1 14 I If i Inventor JOHN F. MITCHELL, 0F TOPEKA, KANSAS.

COLLAPSIBLE Damiano-0UP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

Application filed April 14, 1918. Serial No. 760,888.

shown and explained what I deem to be the To all l(/l0l/L it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F'. illi'roiinnii, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at 'Ibpeka, in the county of Shawnee and State ofKansas, have invented certain new and I useful Improvements inCollapsible Drinking'Cups, of which the following is a spccifi cation.

My invention is an improvement upon the very common type of collapsibledrinking cup made up of a number of tapered sections or rings, thecup'being held in extended position by the frictional engagement of theinner and outer walls respectively of con tiguous sections. A troublewith the use of such cups as are now in common use is that they collapseaccidentally,as when held by their lower portion, or set upon theirbase.

It is the object of my invention to prevent accidental collapsing of thecup; also to provide means for preventing accidental collapsing of thecup and which at the same time permits easy intentional collapsing;

also to provide such means in simple, economical, durable, and sanitaryform; also to improve upon the case usually accompanying and formingpart ofsuch cups. 1 attain these objects by forming in one of each twocontiguous rings or sections a rib over which the other of the two mustpass when extending the cup, said rib being so located that when thesections are fully extended the latter of the two sections will bearagainst said rib'which' thus forms a stop to prevent the collapsing ortelescoping of said two sec tions. I also so form the two contiguoussections or rings so as to give one of them sufiicient expansibility topermit the passage I over said rib. \Vhile said rib thus. forms a stopsutlicientto prevent accidental collapsing, yet the expansible elementalso permits the return passage, the collapsing or telescoping of thesections when more coinpressiveforce is applied, as by hand, than is aptto be applied in ordinary handling of the cup in extended position. Ialso provide a new and improved means for attaching a removable cap to abase for forming a casing for the collapsed cup.

My invention also comprises the parts, in1- provements; and combinationshereinafter set forth arid claimed.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification, andin the description of the drawing, I have shown my invention in itspreferred form, and have best mode of applying the principles thereof;but it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appendedclaims, I conteinplate changes in form, proportions, and ma- The drawingis an elevation of a cup made in accordance with the principles of myinvention, the left-hand portion being a vertical central sectionalelevation. L

The several collapsible sections are indicated by the reference numerals1, 2, 3, 4i, and 5. The walls of thesectionsare tapered longitudinallyboth inside and outside. The outside circumference of the one end ofeach sectionis greater than the inside circumference of the contiguousend of the contiguous section, and thetapers correspond so that when thecup is extended, the sections friction'ally engage each other and form atight closure at each joint. Obviously either the large or the small endmay be closed; I have shown the small end closed. as inditerials..thetransposition of parts, and the 4 cated by the numeral. 6, to form thebottom of the cup.

So far as the foregoing description is com cerned, it is not new, andonly illustrates the general type of collapsible drinking cups to whichmy invention is applicable.

Secured to the bottom of the cup is a base 7 having an up-turned outerrim flange 8 and a knurled handhold 9. The flange is provided with aninside circumferential groove 10. 11 is a cap of such size and form asto form, in connection with the base, a case for the collapsed cup. Italso provided with a knurled hand-hold.

12 is a peripheral rib adapted to fit into the groove 10 when the cap isapplied to the base of the collapsed cup. This rib is of very slightoutward projection,just so it can be squeezed through the flange intoengagement with the groove 10.

In order to prevent accidental collapsing of the cup, I form in eachsection, except one of the end sections where itis unnecessary, aperipheral rib l t. Each rib is so located that when the two contiguoussections are extended with relation to each other, the rib will beimmediately back of the end of the adjacent section. In order to permitthe passage of the adjacent section over the rib, I. utilize anexpansible element, preferably by slitting the adjacent end, as

' lower edges over the contiguous indicated at 15, 15. The ribs 14: needproject only slightly; and the slits 15 need be only long enough topermit of the necessary expansion in passing over the rib; they shouldnot be too long, but suflicient space must be left between their upperends and the top of the contiguous section to form a perfect closure. Byexercising care in manufacture, the ribs ma be located so that when thecup is extende the inward pressure of the lower edge of the upper one oftwo contiguous sections against the upper slanting side of the rib willexert an up" ward pressure upon said upper section,

' thereby tending to force a more perfect closure. While this meansprevents accidental collapsing of the cup, it'will be understood that.he cup may be collapsed in the ordinary manner, only slightly morecompression being required to force the adjacent P It is not necessarythat the rib 14, be; ,continuons.

What I claim is:

i. In a collapsible drinking cup of the kind descr1bed,thc combinationof a series of tapered sections, one section of each two contiguoussections being formed with a circumferential rib and the other of saidtwo contiguous sections having its end expansible, said end bearingagainst said rib when the sections ar extended with relation to eachother o as to prevent collapsing thereof, and said expansible end beingadapted to pass over said rib when said sections are forced lengthwiseof the cup.

2. In a collapsing drinking cup of the kind described, the combinationof a series of tapered sections, one section of each two contiguoussections being formed with a rib engaging against the other of said twosections to prevent the accidental collapsing of said sections.

3. In a collapsible cup of the kind described the combination of aseries of ta.- pered sections, one section of each two contiguoussections being formed with a circumferential rib adapted to bear againstthe contiguous end of the other of said two sections to preventaccidental collapsing thereof, and said end being circumferentiallyexpansible when said sections are forced relatively lengthwise of thecup so as to pass over said rib.

4. In a collapsible cup of the kind described, the combination of aseries of tapered sections, the section at the smaller end being closedto form the bottom of the cup, each section being formed with acircumferential rib at the lower end of the adjacent sectionsrespectively so that when the cup is extended, the lower end of eachsection bears against the rib formed in the ad jacent section, and eachof said lower ends having slits extending longitudinally of the cup forpermitting said lower ends to ex.- pand circumferentially to pass overthe respective ribs.

5. In a collapsible drinking cup of the kind described, the combinationof two contiguous tapered sections, one of said sections being formedwith a stop' that prevents the sections collapsing when in extended 0-sition, said sections vbeing also formed with means whereby they may becollapsed by forcing the other section over said stop.

(3. 111 a collapsible drinking cup of the kind described, thecombination of two con tiguous tapered sections, one of said sectionsbeing formed with a slightly projecting stop which engages against theother section when thef sections are extended to prevent the accidentalcollapsing thereof, and the sa d other section being circumferentiallyexpansible adjacent to said stop to permit said other section to beforced past said stop.

In testimony whereof I have afiixcd my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN F. MITCHELL.

\Vitnesses C. J. ROSEN, J. M. STARK.

